Lawn-mower.



Patented 11115.14, 1911.y

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LAWN MoWBR. APPLICATION FILED QUT. 12, 1910.

Patented Feb.14,1911.

ALPHEUS SAYLES, OF INDEPENDENCE, IOWA.

LAWN-IVI OWE R.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

Application filed October 12, 1910. Serial No. 586,673.

l'o all whom it may concern.'

Bc it known that l, Anriinus Sarracs. a citizen of the United States, residing' at lndependence, in the county of Buchanan and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lawn-Mowers, otl which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying' drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in mowing machines and more specifically to machines of that character commonly known as lawn mowers and includes new and novel means t'or transmitting' power to the reciprocatory cutter bar to simultaneously actuate a plurality of cutting' blades whel'eby the same are moved across the intermediate eutting fingers to effect a shear cut of the grass or other material.

The invention further consists in the provision of a light, simple and e'tlicient mowing machine of the above described character whereby grass or other material may be easily and quickly cut either in a wet or dry state, without interference with the working elements of the machine.

Another object is to provide a positive acting' durable lawn mower and a revoluble reel mounted above the cutting teeth and movable over the same to free the teeth and the fingers of the cut material which may accumulate thereon.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mowing' machine constructed in accordance with my invention the reel being' partly broken away; Fig'. i). is a section taken on the line Q---Q of Fig'. l; Fig'. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig'. 1; and Fig'. l is an end elevation, the wheel and gear casing' being shown in section.

Referring` in detail to the accompanying drawings 5 designates the supporting' wheels which are arranged at opposite ends of the machine frame and support the same for movement over the ground in a manner to be hereinafter specifically described. The wheels 5 are each made in the form of a central web 6 having' a ground engaging' tread 7 formed on its periphery, said tread extendl l l l i t l ing' upon each side of the web. of the tread T lng inwardlyY The edges are formed with circumscribextending flanges 8 and the inner flange is Alurt her formed with a laterally extending' annular tlang'e 9. The flange t) is provided with internal gear teeth 9 for the transmission of power in the. o}.)erating mechanism of the mower as will be more clearly disclosed by the following description.

The webs (i of the supporting' wheel 5 are centrally formed with the hubs G which are mounted upon the outer ends of the stud shafts 'l0 centrally fixed in a central bearing 11 formed on a circular gear case 11. This gear case iucloses the flange 9 of the wheel, said wheel revolving' on the stud shaft l0. The casings 11 are rigidly connected by means of a rod 12 and at the outer edge of said casing-s at the bottoms thereof the aug'ularly and inwardly disposed supporting plates 13 are formed. Upon these plates 13 the ends ot' a cutter bar case 141@ are supported and rigidly secured. This ease or housing 11i is for the purpose of protecting the cutter bar and the pivots ot' the cutter blades and comprises a base plate which is secured at its ends to the supporting tianges 13 by means of a screw 13', and a cover plate let which is arranged above and in spaced relation to the base of the ease. Bctween the cover plate and the base, the cutting blades 15 are mounted. The usual finger bar 16 is rigidly secured to the outer edge of the base of the case 0r housing 14 and has formed thereon a plurality of iing'ers 1G through and between which the cutting' blades 15 are adapted to move. The cutting' blades are pivotally mounted intermediate of their ends upon the pins 17, the upper and lower ends of which are fixed in the cover 1li and the base plate of the case 14. T hesc pivot pins also extend through the linger bar 1G and serve to secure the same to the base plate. Screws 17 are threaded into the upper ends of the pins 17 and effectively secure said pins in the base and cover plates of the case 14. The rear ends of the blades '15 are pivotally connected to the reciproeatory cutter bar 1S which is movably disposed within the case 111. A rear shield or protecting' plate 14 is disposed upon the longitudinal rear edges of the base and the cover plate 14. of the cover bar case and is secured thereto in any preferred manner. This shield plate is provided with an elongated longitudinal slot 1S) through which a short connecting rod 2O carried by the cutter bar extends. The outer end of the cutter bar is connected to one end of a pitman rod 21 by the usual ball and socket Joint, the other end of said rod Y being universally connected by means of a similar joint to the rear end of a crank shaft 22 which is mounted in suitable bearings 23 arranged upon the gear protecting case 11. Power is transmitted to the pitman rod through the crank shaft by means of a pinion 2a which is mounted upon a short shaft 25 fixed at one end in the plate 1l. This pinion is formed with a frusto-conical beveled or mitered toothed portion 241 which meshes with a beveled pinion 26 fixed to the forward end of the crank shaft 22. The main or body portion of the pinion 241 meshes with the internal teeth tl of the flange 9 formed upon the supporting wheel whereby in the movement of the machine rotation is imparted to the pinion 2st and transmitted through the pinion 2G and the crank shaftA 22 to the pitman rod 21 whereby the cutter bar 18 is longitudinally reciprocated to oseillate the cutting blades through the fingers to perform a shearing cutting action. T he case plate 11 is provided with a short slot or aperture 27 through which the pinion 26 extends for engagement with the beveled toothed portion of the pinion 2a.

In order to prevent the accumulation of grass or other matter upon the cutting blades 15 and between the lingers 16, I provide a. reel 28 which is fixed upon a shaft 29 revolubly mounted in the plates 11 below the wheel shafts 10. Sprocket pinions 30 are fixed upon the ends of the reel shaft 29 and are connected by means of a drive chain 31 with a sprocket 32 integrally formed upon one face of a gear 33 which is mounted upon a stud shaft 34 rigidly fixed in the case plate 11. The gear of course meshes with the internal teeth 9 of the supporting wheel whereby power is transmitted through the medium of the connecting chain 31 tothe wheel shaft. Thus the reel is continuously revolved in the cutting action of the blades 15. Vhile the reel may be of any preferred construction, I preferably provide the radial arms 28 fixed to the shaft 29 adjacent its ends, the outer end of corresponding arms at the opposite ends of the reel shaft being connected by the metal plates 28a. These plates move across the upper surfaces of the fingers 1G and throw the grass or other material rearwardly or in a reverse direction to the movement ofthe machine whereby the uncut portion in front of the machine is kept clear of the eut maferial.

To the case plates 1 1 the ends of a U- shaped frame bar 35 are secured and to the intermediate portion of said bar suitable handles (not shown) are adapted to be rigidly connected whereby the machine may be conveniently moved or pushed by the operator.

r'he flanges 13 are each formed with a slotted extension 37 in which the supporting casters or rollers 3G are mounted. These casters are for the purpose of supporting the cutter or sickle bar to relieve the friction or drag of the same upon the ground surface and to secure a high or low cut of the grass or other material.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and operation of my improved mowing machine will be clearly understood. rThe power transmission mechanism affords a more direct connection between the cutter bar and the drive wheel than in machines of a sii'nilar character as heretofore constructed. rlfhis gearing is elliertually protected from the :nfeumulations of dust and dirt thus reducing to a minimum wear upon the various parts and consequently increasing the durability of the machine By providing a reel for operation in conjunction with the cutting teeth, the teeth and fingers are at all times kept clear of the cut material, thus greatly facilitating the easy operation of the machine and maintaining a high degree of efficiency.

Vhile I have specifically shown and scribed the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts, it will be obvious that the machine is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed isz- 1. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of supporting wheels, each of said supporting` wheels having an internal gear formed thereon, a circular plate disposed over said internal gears a rod rigidly connecting said plates, stud shafts mounted in said plates for supporting the wheels, a reciprocatory cutter bar ar anged between the supporting wheels. a housing for said bar, a linger housing` and extending forwardly thereof, a plurality of cutting blades pivoted at their rear ends to said bar. said blades being pivoted intermediate of their ends in the housing andv movable between the fingers of said finger bar, a crank shaft mounted onthe plate which is disposed over the gear of the supporting wheel, power transmission means between said internal gea-r and the crank shaft to rotate the latter, and a pitman connecting said crank shaft and the cutter bar to reciprocate said bar.

2. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of supporting wheels each having formed thereon an internal gear, a

bar rigidly secured to said l case plate having an annular llange disposed over said gear, stud shafts centrally tixed in said plate, said supporting wheels being revolubly mounted on the shafts, a rod 'rigidly connecting the plates, an inwardly extending :flange formed on each ot' said plates at its lower edge, a reeiprocatory cutter' bar arranged between the supporting wheels, a housing for said bar rigidly fixed upon the flanges of said plates, a linger bar secured to said housing and extending forwardly thereof, a plurality of cutting blades pivoted at their rear ends to the reciprocatory cutter bar and disposed in said housing, said plates being pivoted intermediate of their ends in the housing and movable through the fingers on the finger bar, the rear edge of said housing having an elongated slot therein, a connecting rod carried by the cutter bar, sai-d rod extending through said slot, a crank shal't mounted in hearings on one of the fase, plates, ay pinion mounted on said plate engaging with the internal gear ol. the supporting wheel, said pinion having a beveled toothed portion, a beveled pinion lixed ou one end of the crank shaft engaging with the beveled portion ot' the pinion on said case plate, and a pitman rod connected to the crank of said shaft and to the connecting rod of the cutter bar to transmit power :from the supporting' wheel for the reciproeation oit said bar.

23. .In a machine of the character described, the combination of supporting wheels each having an internal gear, a case plate extending over said gear, stud shafts mounted in the case plates, said wheels being revolubly mounted thereon, a rod rigidly connecting the plates, cutting mechanism mounted upon said plates between the supporting wheels, power transmission means between the interna] gear of one ot the wheels and said cutting mechanism to actuate the latter, a shat't revolubly mounted in the case plates having a reel txed thereon movable over the cutting mechanism, sprocket pinions fixed on the ends of said shaft, gears mounted on the ease plates meshing with the internal gears ot the supporting wheels, sprockets Formed on said gears, and couneeting chains extending over said sprockets and the sprocket piuions ou the reel shat't whereby said reel is revolved simultaneously with the actuation el the cutting mechanism. In testimon v whereof l hereunto atlix my signature in the presence ot two witnesses.

ALPHEUS SAYLES. lVtnesses:

J. A. VELLS, Eva M. KLINE. 

